The Clifton clarion., 1887-10-26
JGAQUIN NgURTETTA.
"A Pioneers Story of the Notorious
 Bandit and Outlaw.

eai1NA
 The following story is told by an old pioneer of California as the causes that. led to Joaquin Murietta becoming a bandit and an outlaw. The famous desperado was well known in San Jose, and this county was the scene of many a daring and bloody exploit.
 When thousands of gold seekers were pouring into California from all directions and from all countries, there lived near Sonora, Tuolumne county, young Mexi- can named Joaquin Murietta and his wife Carmelita. They occupied a roughly made but comfortable cabin of three rooms, and all who made their acquaintance were struck most pleasantly with their happy conferences and the many evidences of their devotion to each other. Both were possessed of kindly, happy dispositions; they were intelligent, and the husband spoke English with con siderable fuency. Murietta was engaged in gardening, and along both sides of little stream that flowed near the door of his cottage the ground had been carefully cultivated and was covered with numerous vegetables which would soon be ready for market. Vege- tables in those days were worth almost their weight in silver, and as the happy gardener worked and planned for the future when he could return with his wife to their native land, he could hear the happy housewife singing some sweet Spanish lovesong which he knew was intended for him.
 A Mr. Wilson, an American, who had a claim near by, made his home at their cottage, and all three were warm friends. Muri- etta was deriving an ample in come from his garden, and, with the money received from Wilson for board, their prospects were very bright. About this time the gold fever increased in intensity. Men became more selfish and less polished. There was a whirl of excitement; fortunes were lost and won at cards: murders were of frequent occurrence, and in all directions men were roaming the hills and gulches, and their eyes seem to glare insanely as they peered into every purling brook and under every powder for gold
 The happy trio at the cottage were not disturbed for some time, but on a beautiful Sunday morn ing in April Wilson and Joaquin Murletta and his wife were seated outside of the door conversing on their prospects and planning on the future. As they were thus pleasantly building castles like happy children, five rough men appeared short distance below the cabin, all loaded with mining implements. They halted and commenced prospecting in the stream. The result seemed to be highly satisfactory, for there was general yell, and active mining operations were at once com menced. The men, who were from Missouri and had just arrived in the mines, worked almost constant ly. They followed the gold streak up the stream, and at length ap- preached the beautiful garden, valuable as a gold mine, with its wealth of vegetables of all varie- ties. Murietta and his friend Wilson began to be apprehensive of trouble, and at length both visited the miners and requested them as a favor not to mine thorugh the garden, but to go on the other side until the valuable crop could be taken off the ground.
 They refused to heed the re- quest and answered roughly that they knew the law. Murietta sug-